5 ways to SEO your website without messing it up
When it comes to website projects, everyone is so keen to put SEO first. And while SEO is important, it is not the priority. If you’ve been here before, you already know what I’m going to say. But just in case you haven’t, the core priorities for your website copy should always be: Brand Messaging Clarity Conversion […]
Keyword research: finding meaning in shit tons of data
Keyword research is the first step to any successful writing project for business. Whether you’re writing website copy, creating a sitemap, writing social media ad copy, or of course the well-loved and often misunderstood SEO content, it all needs to start with data. But keyword research can be confusing. Especially for clients. OK cool, thanks for […]
Less is more: effective copywriting, conversion, and the lies SEO tells you
Before I went to uni to study creative writing (and sociolinguistics), I thought incredible writing demonstrated an exquisite verbosity, commanding an unparalleled mastery of the language. In other words, more is more. In first year, turns out, most of the class thought the same. Over the three years of studying (and the additional two I […]
How the f*ck do you optimise existing content for SEO? (updated)
This post was originally published in March 2023. Updated January 2025 to reflect developments from Google and other search engines. You know, it’s been a while since I chatted about SEO here and I get asked a lot how to optimise content for SEO. So let’s get into it. So you’ve published some blogs and […]
What’s included in website copywriting?
Website copywriting is in itself a unique type of communication. While there are many types of marketing content, website copy is a beast unto itself, requiring a shit ton of nuance and the balance of brand, SEO, conversion, usability, and more. Before we dive into what website copywriting includes, I wanna take a second to address a […]
Website traffic: 5 simple ways to improve your SEO and Google rankings
Having a beautiful, well-written, conversion-optimised website is incredibly important to running a successful business. But if you can’t bring traffic to your website, you’ve got no one to convert. So I wanted to take a step back from talking about website copywriting today and share some of my favourite tips to improve your SEO and website […]
Conversion, messaging, and building trust through your website
Here’s the unfortunate truth: no one cares about your business as much as you do. So how can we create and write your website in a way that gets people to give a shit? It all comes down to two core components: messaging and conversion. Is messaging the same as tone of voice? No. But messaging should […]
How long does website copywriting take?
Not to be an SEO about it all, but it depends. How long website copywriting takes depends on both the complexity of the project and how many tasks your website copywriter takes on throughout the process. Some copywriters accept a brief, ask you to provide keyword research, brand guidelines, etc. and crack on with the copy straight […]
404 pages: turning shitty UX into a good experience
I don’t know about you but I fucking love a 404 page. In fact, they’re one of my favourite parts of any website copy projects. Fun fact: my 404 page was the second page I ever wrote for this website. The first was my about page. 404 pages are the perfect way to turn a shit […]
The 4 biggest mistakes I see in website copy (and how to fix them)
We all know by now that website copy is deceptively complicated. The right words in the right place, sitting in the right design, linking to the right places, all come together to form a conversion gold mine. And not only that, website copy needs to function as a megaphone for your brand and messaging, get […]
5 ways to nail your keyword density for your SEO content
There are 2 big misconceptions about SEO content. One is that the longer the content the better. And the second is that when it comes to keywords, the most the merrier. And this is why both of those things are hurting your SEO. Myth 1: longer content is always better for SEO The amount of […]
A guide to the three pillars of SEO
What is involved in SEO? And why is it never simple? We all know by now that SEO is an absolute beast. And, of course, it is ever-evolving. While there is no one specific strategy that will guarantee the number 1 spot (unless, of course, you’re spending lots of money on PPC), there are 3 […]
The science behind jargon, clear language, and website copy that converts
It’s no secret that I hate jargon. It is one of the worst things to happen to marketing. And yet, it is everywhere, especially in B2B tech. There is this misconception that jargon makes us sound smart. Distinguished. Trustworthy. I hate to be the one to break this to you, but it’s actually the opposite. […]
What does an SEO strategy look like and how can we create one?
Whether you’re an in-house marketer or someone looking to outsource your SEO, you’ll have been told somewhere by someone that you need a strategy. But what does an SEO strategy actually look like? Well…and you knew it was coming. It depends. There’s a whole process we need to go through first before we can put […]
Do I need a website copywriter? And how much will it cost? (updated)
So you’re updating your website, or creating one for the first time. Who knows your business better than you, the business owner or senior marketing person? I will say now that you don’t always need to hire a website copywriter. There are SO MANY amazing guides out there to help you achieve the basics if […]
3 ways to manage your budget for website copy
How much is website copy going to cost? How long is a piece of string? This is the struggle as many people struggle (or forget) to factor in website copywriting into their project costs. I would love to sit here and say if you need X pages it’s going to cost Y amount. Unfortunately, it’s […]
Spending International Women’s Day At WTSFest London
March 8th was this year’s International Women’s Day. And it was also the date for WTSFest London. And you know what, it was fucking wonderful. Every year, Areej AbuAli and her team pull out all of the stops to create an inclusive, supportive event for women and nonbinary folks to take the stage and help […]
How A New Website Saved My Business And My Mental Health
A couple of weeks ago saw my 2 year freelanc-iversary. A small milestone to many, I’m sure. But one I wasn’t sure I would reach. You see, back in February 2023 (my first freelance birthday), I celebrated with a disgusting burnout, depression, and paranoia that I’d made the worst decision of my life. This may […]
The 2 SEO Tools I Absolutely Swear By (For Me And My Clients)
Recently, more and more clients have been asking me to do keyword research, whether as part of website projects or technical SEO support. Back in the day (when I used to work in an office), “love a spreadsheet” was basically my catchphrase. So, of course, when folks ask me to dig into the data I am 100% here […]
Content Clusters: The Best SEO Strategy For Small Marketing Teams
When I first became a one-person marketing team for a B2B tech company (after leaving the relative safety and sheer fucking chaos of agency life), I had one word to describe the current SEO content strategy. An absolute clusterfuck. The backstory behind my 8 step SEO content strategy (if that’s not for you, no hard […]
Writing website copy: how much content do I need?
One of the most common questions I get about website copywriting is this: how much content do I need on each page? It’s going to vary depending on the purpose of the page, how much contextual information is needed around the basic points to help people to convert, and SEO intentions for the page. There […]
Technical SEO: What I Wish I Knew Before Moving My Website From Wix To WordPress
Listen to this blog As it turns out, post-live SEO is fucking complicated. I wanted to share my experience of moving from Wix to WordPress. I knew leaving Wix was going to be a challenge (this is done by design to make you stay), but I was not expecting this level of technical difficulty. Managing […]
Internal Linking, Website SEO, And Avoiding W*nky Anchor Text
Listen to this blog Although SEO is not the main purpose of your website copy, internal linking is an important part of any page of your website. (For the record, the main purposes of your website copy are: clarity, messaging, usability, and conversion) Shitty anchor text will be the death of me. One of my […]
Google’s 2023 Helpful Content Update: What The Fuck Is Going On?
Listen to this blog Google’s 2023 September Helpful Content Update has been quite a contentious one. Essentially a sequel and expansion of their 2022 Helpful Content Updates, this update has seen a few critical changes and a significant increase in guidelines. So why is it so contentious? Many folks who have historically performed well in […]
How To Create A Simple Tone Of Voice From Scratch
Let’s get into it What actually is a tone of voice? Why is it necessary? 10 questions to help you establish a basic ToV 5 questions to ask about language A helpful exercise to run with your clients (or for your own brand) What the fuck actually is a “tone of voice”? And is it […]
Beginner’s guide to SEO content: topic clusters
In this series, I’ll be creating a beginner’s guide to SEO content writing. I’ll be covering everything from choosing topics to SEO content for lead generation. No matter where you are in your content marketing journey, I hope you can find something helpful here. This time, we’re talking topic clusters for SEO. What are topic […]
How To Design A Sitemap For Your New Website
Sitemaps are an absolute beast. Not only that, but they are a critical part of the website copywriting process. You cannot write your copy until you know which pages you need and how they all fit together. So let’s get into it: What the fuck even is a sitemap? What does a sitemap look like (ft. video […]
Working with me: what my neurodivergent brain means for our work together
If we’re working together, chances are you already know that I’m neurodivergent. I talk about it often, both with my clients and in my online presence. It’s important for both of us that you know what that means for our work together, so I’ve put together this quick little guide to give you a rundown […]
How to make your marketing (and business) more LGBTQ+ friendly
Pride was a riot before it was ever a parade or a party. It’s time to stand up and support your LGBTQ+ friends, family, employees, and customers. Let’s talk about the rainbow elephant in the room. It’s Pride month baby. Rainbow washing. *sigh*. There is a lot of nuance in this topic so please bear […]
Are Chat GPT and AI writing tools the future of copywriting?
This article has been adapted from my fortnightly newsletter Thusfar, Untitled. If you want first access to my content marketing and SEO insights, subscribe here. It’s time to address the elephant in the room. I wanted to wait until after BrightonSEO to discuss it. Whether you’re already using it, tried it once, or really don’t […]
The anti-burnout content strategy for small marketing teams and one-person businesses
Bear with me on this one friends. It’s going to start out as a bit of a bummer but I promise it gets cheerier. It’s not all doom and gloom, but you’ll need to stick around for a bit. Why is everyone in marketing so exhausted? We need to talk about mass burnout in marketing. […]
3 lessons you can learn from the worst email I’ve ever sent
This article is adapted from my newsletter, Thusfar Untitled. If you want to join us for chat about content marketing, web copy, and freelancing every two weeks, you can sign up here. It’s ok to fuck up once in a while. And chances are, no one is going to remember. It’s good to talk about […]
What the f*ck is Information Architecture? (IA)
This article was adapted from my newsletter Thursfar, Untitled. If you want to join 350+ writers, freelancers, and folks who want to learn more about content marketing and SEO, you can subscribe here. That’s right, folks, she’s back with a bang. Your favourite sweary content marketing newsletter is here to explain to you lot what […]
How to write attention-grabbing content without the clickbaity bullshit
As marketers, writers, and freelancers, we spend a shit ton of time writing and putting together content. Especially if your focus is SEO, you’re gunna put out a lot of words. But how can you get people to read them? Whether you’re trying to fight the noise among the maelstrom of seasonal messages or you […]
How and why is SEO different for B2B?
SEO is a requirement for most businesses. But how (and why) is it different between B2B and B2C brands? A lot of it has to do with the buying journey, how many people are involved in that decision, and how long it takes. B2C brands have benefited from the always-on, instant gratification, and impulse purchasing […]
5 ways web design and branding choices can impact accessibility
Now, as a copywriter, I’m almost exclusively focusing on content design and website copywriting choices. Buckle up, because there’s a lot to consider that you may now have thought about before. 1. Sans serif fonts Sans serif basically means minus without the sticky-outy-pointy bit at the end of letters. Here’s a quick example: Visual examples […]
What the fuck is cornerstone content? And why does it matter?
Since the Google Helpful Content Update, you may have heard a bunch of talk about cornerstone content. Especially from me. Why? Because when it’s done well, it is the pinnacle of what the helpful content update is looking for. So now we know why it’s so important, let’s take a deep dive into what it […]
Reduce, reuse, repurpose: how the helpful content update can actually make your life easier
As Google’s Helpful Content Update (August 2022) rolls out, many companies are going full steam ahead panicking about their content strategy. And honestly, I completely understand. We do need to take a more tactical approach to content marketing. But ultimately, it shouldn’t be all too different to what we’ve already been doing. Last time, I […]
Google’s August 2022 update, helpful content, and what the fuck it all means – part 1
In August 2022, Google announced its latest update in a string of changes to its ranking algorithm. Over the previous 12 months, Google has slowly been moving towards user-focused content and away from techniques that traditionally helped articles and other content to rank on the search engine. Great, so Google is changing things up, again. […]
Blogging for beginners: what should I write about?
In this new series, I’ll be taking you through the essentials of what it takes to write a good blog. Everything from tone and length through to using your blog to increase inbound leads and sales. But first, how do you even choose what to write about? Why does the topic I write about matter? […]
Intro to blog writing: formatting content to keep readers interested
In this new series, I’ll be taking you through the essentials of what it takes to write a good blog. Everything from tone and length to using your blog to increase inbound leads and sales. But first, let’s get back to basics and talk about formatting. How should I format my blog? Well, there is […]
Beginner’s guide to SEO content: keyword research intro, tools, and tips
In this series, I’m creating a beginner’s guide to SEO content writing. I’ll be covering everything from choosing topics to SEO content for lead generation. No matter where you are in your content marketing journey, I hope you can find something helpful here. This time, I’m talking about all things keyword research. It’s a huge […]
Beginner’s guide to SEO content: meta descriptions and behind the scenes
This series is a beginner’s guide to SEO content writing. I’ll be covering everything from choosing topics to SEO content for lead generation. No matter where you are in your content marketing journey, I hope you can find something helpful here. This time, I’m talking about all of the fiddly behind the scenes content. What […]
Beginner’s guide to SEO content: heading types and structuring content
In this series, I’ll be creating a beginner’s guide to SEO content writing. I’ll be covering everything from choosing topics to SEO content for lead generation. No matter where you are in your content marketing journey, I hope you can find something helpful here. This time, I’m talking all things headings and structure. What are […]
Don’t Judge a Brand By Its Logo: The Forgotten Importance of Personality
When someone asks you to think of a famous brand, what do you picture? Perhaps the Nike tick, Twitter’s bird, or even the slightly strange mermaid-type character belonging to Starbucks. Aside from innocent who have, according to some, come to dominate the world of personality-based marketing, how often do you consider a brand’s tone or […]
